The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-02-17
PENSION VETO,
esident Cleveland Returns to the House
Without His Approval the Dependent
Pension Bill
He Treats Fxhaustively the Whole Question OF
Pensions and Strongly Fortif1es the
Position Taken.
Returned Dlsapprove.l

"A"nANoAVS. CeV AA.-1uo pleSlUeuI TO-
day sent the following message to the house
Of representatives.:
:, herewith return without my approval House
Bill No. ~, Ash, entitled AN act for the relief
Of dependent parents and honorably discharged
soldiers and sailors who arc now disabled and
dependent upon their own labor for support. -
THIS y the atss general bill! that has been sane
toned by congress since the close OF the late
civil war permitting pension to the soldiers
and sailors who served in that war upon the
ground OF service and present disability alone,
ana IN the entire absence OF any injuries re-
ceiveG by casualties or incidents OF such service
While by almost constant LEGISLATION since the
close OF the war there has been compensation
result Of military service in the Union army,
ana while great number of laws passed
Tor that purpose have been admins
sered with great liberality. and have been
supplemented by numerous private acts to reach
special cases. there has not, until now. been an
avowc't departure from the principle thus far
edhered to respecting Union soldiers, that the
stons ts generously bestowed when granted to
those who, in the military service and the line
Of military duty, have to a greater or less ex-
tent, been disabled. But 1t is a mistake to sup
pose that service pensions such as are permitted
BY the second section Of the bill Under con-
are new to our legislation In 1918,
tnrty-nve years after the close OF the Revolu-
Gagged In that STRUGGLE conditional upon service
unit! the end OF the war. or for q term not
less than nine months, and requiring every ben
hfter Dy reason Of his reduced circunlsta noes in
life shall be- in need OF assistance from his coun-
try for support" Another law OF like character
was passed IN 1928. requiring service until the
c'OSc OK the revolutionary war: and still another
passed In lS34, providing for those persons not
Included In the previous statute, but who served
1--WE years at some time during the war. and Civ
not less than six months. service pension
law was passed for the benefit Of
THE SOLDIERS OF 1912
ln tEc year lS71-htty years after the close
ot tnat war-wh1ch required only sixty days
service; and another was passed in 1S7S-sixty-
three years after the war-reQuiring only four
Teen DAYS service The service pension bill passed
after the close Of the Mexican war; for the bene-
hit Of the soldiers of that war, requires either
some degree OF disability or dependency, or that
Inc. claimant under its provisions should be
ne should have served sixty days or been
actually engaged In battle. It will be seen
mat the bill Of 1918 and the Mexican pension
were engaged than the others, one thirty-tire
years and the other thirty. nine years after the
who were advanced in age, assumed to be COM
paratlvely TOW In number, and whose circum-
stances, dependence and disabilities were
clearly defined aud could be quite easily fixed
The other laws referred to appear to have been
passed ut Q time SO remote from the military
service OF the persons which they embraced that
their extreme age alone was deemed to
rhs n1Ser Of
made during the revolutionary war is
stated to have been 800. 79l. and in the war Of
1912, 576.622; but it Is cstimat ed that, on &C
individuals engaged in those wars did not ex-
coed one-half Of the number represented bv
these hRures In tho war with Mexico the num-
Der Of enlistments is reported to be 1l2, $50.
MI ori ,,L
vlduais engaged than the reported enlistments
In the two previous wars. The numper Of pen
sions granted under all the laws to soldiers Of
tne Revolution Is given at G2,O69: to soldiers Of
The war OF 1912 and their widows, COLTS; and
The soldiers of the Mexican war and their Wild
o n up to June 80, 1885, 1919. This number
Involving much hardship, for disabilities in
CURED as result Of such service; and it was not
until within the last month that the few re-
naming survivors were awarded a service pen
THE WAR OF THE REBELLION
nearly twenty-five years AGO. The
number OF men furnished for its prosecution
was said to bs 2.772.4os No corresponding
humber OF statutes has ever been passed to
In the militarC service Of any war. Under these
statutes So, SIG rensiuns have been granted
from the year 1861 to June 80, 1886, aud more
rolls by private acts passed TO meet cases, many
OF them OF questionable merit-which the gen
cral laws did not cover On July l. 1856, 3G5,-
sion rolls. Of whom 3O5. COS were survivors of
the war OF tho Rebellion and their widows and
dependents; For the year ending juno 80,
1887. $4,000 900 have been appropriated for
the payment OF PENSIONS and the amount cx-
1855. is $500. 6S4sii.i5. Willie annually pay =,
I'M, ,1fs.d out os SO vast sum for pensions
by the bill under consideration to award a serv-
Ice pension to the soldiers OF all wars in which
the United States has been engaged, including,
those entitled to the benefits Of the act the sum
Of $12 per month. So far as it relates to the
soldiers Of the late civil war, the bounty it
anords them ts given thirteen years earlier than
It has been furnished to. the soldiers OF any
other war. and before q large majority Of its
have advanced in age beyond the
strength and vieor Of the prime OF life. l. ex-
months, without anv requirement. of actual
engagement with an eremy in battle, and with
out subsection to any OF the actual dangers OF
W Ms1, The pension 1t awards is allowed to en-
listed men who have not suffered the least in.
jury, disability. loss or damage OF any kind. in
CURED In or in degree referable to their mil
ttary service, including those who
NEVER REACHED THE FRONT At ALI.
and those discharged from rendezvous at the
close OF the wal, II discharged three months
after enlistment. Under the last call Of tho
men were furnished who were thus discharged
The section allowing this pension does, how
end ~ be, s9 a,a service OF thre'e months
~ ~ ~. ulscnarGe thas tnose seeking
inc oenent OF tne act snail be such as ARE now
y. may ueieaIteI DC s0uerlng from mental OF
Puy s.c"i uisaoHty not ths result OF their own
vlclous haDlts or Rross careessncss. which inca
pacitates mem 1or inc perfo nance OF labor In
socn uexIce Us 10 Ienoer them unable to earn
= s'upPo.t anu WHO are 9epenoent upon thell
uanS Iaoo1 tor suppofc. IL PROVIDES further
tnat sucn Pe,sons snali. upon making proof OF
t ~. iaSe. 70 p'aGeu on Ihe Hs1 OF Invalid pen
sIneIS VI tue Chtteu SIate5: ana De entitled to
1ecelve TOT snch total INABILITY 10 secure theit
su9sistence oy daily labor $12 per month
anu sa sucn pension shaN commence from
.ne uate u Cne nnnR OF Inc applcation In the
pension once upon Proof That the disability chen
Se ana mn curing the Of
sne same IN the oeeree here1n provided; that
persons who are not receiving their pensions un-
ger t exlstln9 laws; or whose claims are pending
IN the penslon once NAV ov application to the
cona"lss'on9r OF PENSIONS: IN SUCH form as ne
may prescribe. ne benenc1arles under this act.
IL .,l y o1 she utmost importance that statutes
wn1cn. IKE pension laws. should pc literally adj.
m .. as measures OF benevo!ence IN behalf
OF worthv benefcfarles. should admit of no un-
certainty A. to their general objects and conse-
qrences. Upon careful consideration Of the
language OF the section OF the bill above given ii
seems to me to he uncertain and liable to such
conflicting constructions. and to be subject &c
such unjust and Mischievous application a. tC
alone furnish sufficient ground for disappearing
the proposed legislation. Persons seeking to OBJ
tain the pension provided by this section must
be now or hereafter: ~ Suffering from mental
or physical disability: ~ such disability must
not be the result OF their own vicious habits OF
~ o19n11 TOO H.